The 2026 Yanggu World Cup is now ready for its main tournament after four days of qualifying action in South Korea. From the opening PPPQ round to the final Q stage, players from across the world battled through four successive filters, with 12 places in the main draw ultimately decided in the last qualifying round.
The long qualification process offered plenty of compelling performances, unexpected eliminations and some impressive scoring figures. South Korean and Vietnamese players were particularly prominent, while several established international names also had to fight their way through.
From PPPQ to Q: a demanding route
The competition began with the Pre-Pre-Pre-Qualification round (PPPQ), featuring 48 players divided into 16 groups. The group winners moved on to the PPQ stage, where another series of groups narrowed the field.
The Pre-Qualification (PQ) round brought in further contenders and provided another opportunity for players to earn their place in the final qualifying stage. Finally, the Q round brought together 36 players in 12 groups of three, with only the group winners advancing to the main tournament.
Throughout these stages, the format left little room for error: one difficult match could make the difference between progressing and going home.
Standout performances in the qualifying rounds
The opening PPPQ stage already produced some eye-catching numbers. South Korea’s Yun Do Song topped the overall ranking with 60 points in 31 innings, an average of 1.935. Vietnam’s Le Nguyen Nhu and Le Thanh Tien followed with 1.764, while Japan’s Ryuuji Umeda recorded 1.666.
In the PPQ round, Jeong Sung Il delivered one of the most impressive performances of the early stages. The Korean won both matches in his group and finished with 70 points in 33 innings, for an average of 2.121. Fellow Korean Park Su Yeong was close behind at 2.058, while Vietnam’s Le Nguyen Nhu also exceeded 1.890.
The PQ stage brought more familiar names into the picture. Sam van Etten was among the strongest performers, finishing his group with 1.794, while Maxime Panaia topped his group with 1.228. Other notable group winners included José María Más, Pham Quoc Thuan, Javier Vera, Park Su Yeong and Le Thanh Tien.
The final qualifying round: Devogelaere and Tran shine
The Q stage provided the last twelve tickets to the main tournament. Vietnam’s Quyet Chien Tran produced the highest overall average among the group winners, with 73 points in only 32 innings — an outstanding 2.281. He also finished a match in just 12 innings, averaging 3.333.
France’s Mikaël Devogelaere was another major performer. He won Group H with 80 points in 42 innings, averaging 1.904, and secured his place in the main draw. Belgium’s Roland Forthomme also progressed after winning Group J with a 1.600 average.
Other group winners included Spain’s Ruben Legazpi, Turkey’s Gökhan Salman, Vietnam’s Nguyen Dinh Quoc and Pham Quoc Thuan, Greece’s Nikos Polychronopoulos, South Korea’s Kang Ja In and Cha Myeong Jong, and Belgium’s Peter Ceulemans.
The 12 qualifiers from Q
The final qualifying round produced the following group winners:
Player | Country | Average |
|---|---|---|
Sung Il Jeong | KOR | 1.777 |
Ruben Legazpi | ESP | 1.632 |
Myeong Jong Cha | KOR | 1.568 |
Ja In Kang | KOR | 1.428 |
Dinh Quoc Nguyen | VIE | 1.379 |
Mikaël Devogelaere | FRA | 1.904 |
Roland Forthomme | BEL | 1.600 |
Gökhan Salman | TUR | 1.269 |
Quyet Chien Tran | VIE | 2.281 |
Pham Quoc Thuan | VIE | 1.659 |
Huberney Catano | COL | 1.622 |
Peter Ceulemans | BEL | 1.250 |
The main tournament is next
With the four qualifying stages completed, attention now turns to the main tournament in Yanggu. The field is set, and the qualifiers will join the seeded players for the battle for the World Cup title.
The performances of Quyet Chien Tran and Mikaël Devogelaere in the final round suggest that the newcomers to the main draw should not be underestimated. After such a demanding qualifying journey, they will be eager to carry that momentum into the tournament proper.